After breakfast Mike heads off to his office with the phone and makes some calls.
"Maxine its Mike." He says after she picks up the phone, she hears the worry in his voice and her first thought is Kate
"Mike is Kate ok?" she says worry also evident in her voice.
"She's fine Max, it's about Ryan and Jessica." He says. There is silence between the two for about 30secs before Maxine speaks.
"Has Ryan done something? Said Something to Jess? Oh god I was worried he might back out of this." She says even more worry showing in her voice as she talks to him.
"No Max he's done nothing, Jess won't be into work today so you will need to let them know at the hospital."
"I she ok Mike? Is our grandchild ok?" she says as she writes down that Jess will be absent today.
"She's stressed out; she stayed here with us last night. Last night we found out there her parents are filing for custody of our grandchild."
"They WHAT." She says crossly "How can they do that I thought, surely they know what support she has here…." Maxine rattles off to Mike. HE can tell by her voice and tone that she is pissed off, upset and angry all in one. Plus she doesn't often rattle off like she is to him right now.
"Max quiet please?" he says nicely to her but she keeps on talking.
"MAXINE, stop." He says firmly to her, she quickly stops, releasing the mistake she had made
"Sorry Mike."
"No problem Max, look Kate and I are going to take her to see our lawyer after lunch, and find out what is going on. We are going to push and see if we can get them to come up here to see what the two have going for them. It might show that they are adults and can do this. Plus that they also have a big support network around them."
"Do you want me there?"
"No not yet, also don't mention anything to Ryan just yet. I'm not sure what she has told him and how much, and I also want to get more information from the lawyer before I talk to him myself. I want to make sure I can answer any questions he has about all of this. I have this gut feeling he has no idea what is truly wrong with Jess right now."
"Ok but you do know it won't take much for him to know I'm hiding something from him."
"I know I'm hoping by this evening we will have more information then I can ring him on Chandlers and talk to him."
"What time are you thinking of doing that?"
"Around 2000hours."
"Ok I will send a message through to the CO to make sure he is free to talk to you then."
"That would be nice but you don't have to do that Max."
"It's the least I can do. You can Kate seem to be more the parents to those two than I am at present."
"And you've spent the last 20 years raising our son, and a good 13 years as a solo parent Max, it is the least I can do to make up for all the time you've had to do it on your own. Also I won't be in today either, I need to deal with this and pick up the new car too this morning."
"What does Kate think of you buying a car without her input?"
"She had input she just never knew about it till this morning. And so far she is happy as. More so since the car is in red." He says and Maxine can't help but laugh.
"Well you better come in this afternoon and full out the paperwork so it can be allowed in the officer's car park then, since we don't have the details on record."
"Yes I will do all that later on depending on what happens at the lawyers. We get the car at eleven; Kate wants to do some shopping."
"Ok well let me know how it goes and I will ring the hospital to let them know Jessica won't be in, oh Mike how is your hand?" she asks remembering what he did to himself not so long ago.
"Its good now thanks Max, a slight scar but other than that you wouldn't know what happened."
"Will you ever tell me what happened to cause those cuts?"
"Maybe not Maxine." He says, she can tell he is closing up on her over this which lets her know it is very personal to him.
"Right then I better go talk later and Mike please keep me informed?"
"Will do Max" they then say their goodbyes before hanging up the phone.
After he hangs up the phone he loads up his emails, on his work laptop. He may not be going in to work today but he does want to make sure nothing urgent or important has come in overnight.
He is busy reading through them that he doesn't hear Kate enter till her arms wrap around his shoulders and her chin rest on his shoulder.
"Everything ok?" she asks him.
"Yep just checking the work emails making sure nothing needs my urgent attention before we get going. Have you decided what sort of shopping you want to do?"
"Yes but there is something we need to do first?" her voice sound unsure about what she is going to ask of him next.
"And what is that?"
"We both really should go into the baby's room and pick out a new colour to paint it I think it might be best that we change the rooms colour." She says to him he gentle guides her to sit on his lap. She sits there on his lap in silence.
"Ok if that is what you want to do then we can do that. I've not been in the room for a few years so I have no idea what state it is in." he says his voice sounding weak at the thought of going back in to that small room that they had turned into the Louise's room. The baby room as they had nicknamed it.
"It's ok I've been in and out of it a number of times since I moved back in. Mum helped me dust everything down on one of the days she was here. I just think changing the colour to something more neutral would be nice. Plus I think it needs some decals up on the wall. It will only be of any use as a baby's room or a storage room." She says trying to sound reassuring to him.
"If that is what you want then that is what we will do." He says
"Well then you better came with me and help me decide what we are going to do in that room so we can get the stuff today." She says sounding very bossy and like the officer she is, he can't help but smile at her for the way she is being.
Well someone is surely coming around, but the thought of stepping into that room a room I haven't looked into for 9years is going to be hard. Thank god she has been in there. I bet her mum helped her with that hurdle, or she did it before getting pregnant before she was overcome with demons of our past. He thinks to himself as they walk to the small room that is beside their bedroom. A room big enough to hold a cot, a set of draws and a rocking chair. If anything else was in the room it would look overcrowded and there be not much room to move around in.
As the door opens, he notices how the room smells clean, no signs of years of dust build up, and he does notice a few things missing. Clothes on the hanging rod he had made up for the room since it had no wardrobe, so Kate could hang dresses, costs or any other items is bare par a couple of items, anything girly looking has been put away. The room looks like any normal baby's room, but this one has a girly theme to it.
"You have been busy but where are…?" He doesn't finish the sentence, as he can't fully bring himself to think what she may have done with the items.
"Mum packed them up and stored them in the room they stay in. She did it for me so that when I came in the room was not full of so many reminders of her. Dad is going to re polish the cot, and draws when they are up here next." She says as she wraps her arms around his waist.
They both stand there in silence, holding each other. Thinking back to how things where ten years ago for them and how things are now.
Five minutes later Mike finally brings himself to talk again, his voice showing the emotions he is feeling by just being in this room.
"So what colour did you have in mind then for the room?"
"I was thinking a mixture of colours. I was thinking maybe we could choose the colours together this time around, instead of me stating what I want." She says with a smile on her face.
"I think we can do that. Thought keeping this one's sex a surprise is not going to be of much help?"
"I know but I'm sure we can agree on something surely?"
"I think we can. Anyway I think it is time we got a move along we have to be at the car dealership in 45mins and I need to have a shower and get dressed."
"I better let you do go do that then."
"Yes you better oh and can you make sure there is nothing left in my car please I have to make sure it is nice and clean before it goes to its new owner." He says as he walks away, Kate not seeing the smirk he has on his face.
